 The RacecourseChepstow racecourse is the home of The Welsh National, sometimes refered to as The Welsh Grand national and is situated at Piercefield park near the town of Chepstow. Chepstow racecourse runs both flat and jump racing, However the jump racing is of a much higher quality than the flat racing and the jewel in the crown of the jump season is the Welsh National which is held a few days after Christmas. The Welsh National has attracted good horses in the past because it is the seasons first good test of stamina for long distance chasers.
The Welsh NationalThe race is a handicap chase of three miles and about five and a half furlongs. Because of the time of year that it is held, the ground can be very testing and horses which win this contest in testing ground will usually go on to win races at the longer distances. Past winners of the race have gone on to win big races such as Rag Trade ( Trained by T.F.Rimell ) who won the race in 1976 and then went on to defy grand national betting by winning the Aintree Grand National, a feat which was repeated by the Jenny Pitman trained Corbiere six years later in 1982.The GreatsOther past winners have had glory at the Cheltenham Festival in the Gold Cup, Burrough Hill Lad (Trained by Jenny Pitman) won this race in 1983 and then went on to lift the Gold Cup. He was then followed by Cool Ground in 1990 and Master Oats who won in The Welsh National in 1994 ( This race was run at Newbury racecourse after a postponement at Chepstow because of poor weather).The Build UpThe major trial for this race is held at Chepstow earlier in the month on the first Saturday in December( The Rehearsal Steeple Chase ). Horses winning this race almost always do well in the Welsh National and often go on to win it. Come in and enjoyStart your build up for the race here."Make sure you check out the latest Grand National Odds in the coming weeks." Stay a while and enjoy the information that makes this great race the premier steeplechase in Wales. 
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